hezbollah

Lebanon’s F&B Boom Masks Illicit-Economy Risks

Lebanon finds itself in a paradox. While its broader economy is collapsing, the food-and-beverage (F&B) sector is showing surprising vitality. It may look like a feel-good tale of resilience, but in fact it reveals one of the greatest structural threats to Lebanon’s recovery: a cash-based economy that undermines transparency, fuels illicit ...

New Israeli Strike on South Kills One

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed one person on Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said, in the latest attack on the area despite a nearly year-long ceasefire. In a statement, the ministry said that the Israeli strike on a vehicle in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, south Lebanon, killed one person. The ministry also said that a grenade ...

J. Aoun Announces a Five-Point Plan to Reassert State Authority and Open the Path to Peace

On the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence, President Joseph Aoun delivered a speech Friday evening from South Lebanon, focusing on sovereignty, the state’s exclusive control over arms, and the need to turn the page on “mini-states.” The head of state unveiled a five-point plan aimed at fully restoring state ...

Raggi Open to Negotiations With Israel

Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Thursday evening that he was open to negotiations with Israel while urging Lebanese expatriates to quickly register on the platform for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Speaking on MTV’s Sar el-Waet program, Mr. Raggi said that if he were given a mandate by the government, he would be ready to enter ...

Netanyahu Says Hezbollah Threat Has Become “More Complex and Dangerous”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the threat posed by Hezbollah has “completely changed” since 7 October, noting that the security situation had “significantly shifted” in recent weeks. He warned that the Lebanese group now represents a “more complex and more dangerous” challenge for Israel. Netanyahu said Israel no ...

Drug Lord Nouh Zeaiter Arrested by the Lebanese Army

The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday that it had arrested Nouh Zeaiter, “one of the most dangerous wanted individuals, during an ambush on the Knaisseh–Baalbek road.” The lawyer of Nouh Zeaiter stated, in an interview with Al-Hadath: “My client is wanted on charges of drug distribution and cultivation.” He added: “The information ...

Iran: The Swan Song!

Some regimes govern with ideas; others thrive on chaos. Iran is clearly in the latter camp, lighting fires across the Middle East while hoping the smoke will hide its failures. Since 1982, Tehran has treated Lebanon—and its political-military proxy, Hezbollah—like a live grenade waved during negotiations: always a threat, never a plan. For ...

New Israeli Strikes on Deir Kifa and Chahour

The Israeli military struck sites in several south Lebanon towns on Wednesday after issuing evacuation warnings saying it would target Hezbollah. "The Israeli army is currently striking several Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon," the Israeli army said in a brief statement after issuing evacuation warnings for ...

Is Hamas Rebuilding Its Military Presence in Lebanon?

The Israeli strike that targeted the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night has brought back into focus a question that had mostly stayed out of the spotlight in the conflict, at least since the November 27, 2024 ceasefire, which shifted attention primarily to Hezbollah: Is Hamas in the process of rebuilding ...

The Digital Dollar: Hezbollah’s New Financial Weapon

Hezbollah’s financing continues to raise serious concerns. A clash is unfolding between international law and the militia, which is using multiple strategies to protect its resources. According to several sources, the group has even turned to digital dollars, particularly Tether, to secure its financial survival. Last week, a US Treasury ...

South Lebanon: Airstrike Kills One and Injures 11

Early Wednesday morning, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the town of Tiri with two missiles, killing one person and injuring 11 others, according to the Ministry of Public Health.  A school bus carrying students happened to pass behind the targeted vehicle. In parallel, Israeli fire struck wooded areas in the town of Yaroun. In another ...

Lebanon Faces Donor Backlash After Decision Extending Disability Benefits to Hezbollah Fighters

Lebanon is facing mounting diplomatic backlash after the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) extended state and donor-funded disability benefits to the thousands of Hezbollah fighters wounded in Israel’s September 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah’s communication devices. What the ministry described as a humanitarian exemption is now being ...